Kinds of Roses

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We do not have a perennial or rose print catalog or list for mailing, all items are available ONLINE or IN PERSON only.

Growing Roses

ANR-157, Reprinted October 1996. Recommended for Extension use by Dave Williams, Extension Horticulturist, Associate Professor, Horticulture, Auburn University. Former authors and revisers include Bridget Behe, former Extension Horticulturist; Patricia Cobb, Extension Entomologist; Austin Hagan, Extension Plant Pathologist; Kim Sheffer, former Horticulturist; Ron Shumack, Extension Horticulturist; George Stritikus, Extension Agent, and Dave Williams, Extension Horticulturist; all at Auburn University.

Kinds of Roses

Roses are classified by their growth habits into two main classes--bush roses and climbing roses. Climbing roses produce long canes and require some kind of support. Bush roses grow to 1 to 6 feet in height and require no support.

Bush Roses. These roses are grouped primarily according to their flowering habit. The kinds of bush roses are hybrid tea, grandiflora, floribunda, polyantha, hybrid perpetual, shrub, old fashioned, tree or standard, and miniature.

Hybrid Teas--In the mid-nineteenth century, the first hybrid tea rose was developed by crossing the wispy canes of the tea rose with the full blossomed and vigorous hybrid perpetual rose. In the past 50 years this rose has become the primary rose in gardens and florist shops. Thousands of varieties are grown today, with many new ones developed each year. Usually a single bloom develops on a robust stem. Flowers of hybrid teas are most often used as cut flowers. Although the size, shape, and color of hybrid tea roses vary enormously, they all share a characteristic beauty. Hybrid teas are continuous bloomers.

Floribundas--These roses are the result of a cross between a hybrid tea rose and a polyantha, a dwarf rose with dense bunches of tiny flowers. Floribundas flower in clusters. Floribundas tolerate more neglect than any kind of rose except shrub roses. For color throughout the summer, floribundas may be used in flower borders and mass plantings and as informal hedges.

Grandifloras--Grandifloras resemble hybrid teas in their hardiness and type of bloom. The grandifloras have a larger bush, but more abundant, somewhat smaller blooms than the hybrid teas.

Polyanthas--Flowers are borne in large clusters and the individual flowers are smaller than grandifloras. Polyanthas are closely related to climbing roses. They are excellent for borders with perennials or for mass plantings. Furthermore, they are of easier culture than hybrid teas.

Hybrid Perpetuals--The blooms are full and spectacularly large but generally lack the refinement of hybrid teas. The hybrid perpetual blooms more frequently than older shrub rose varieties. Sometimes this rose is known as the "June rose" of grandmother's garden. The variety was most popular prior to the development of modern hybrid teas. If given proper care, hybrid perpetuals develop into large, vigorous bushes. Hybrid perpetuals are hardy and withstand low winter temperatures without protection.

Shrub Roses. These are a miscellaneous group of hybrids, native species, and varieties that develop a large, dense growth useful in general landscaping. Usually flowers are small but showy. In the fall, many bear attractive seed pods. Their fine-textured foliage makes some of them useful for hedges or screen plantings.

Old-Fashioned Roses--This category includes the varieties and species that were popular in colonial gardens. Although these roses are more fragrant, the flowers are not as perfectly shaped as those of newer varieties. All of these roses are hardy, require little care, and furnish an abundance of flowers in June. Thousands of old-fashioned roses are available, but many are not suited for the Alabama climate. Teas, noisettes, Bengals, Chinas, and some species roses are extremely well adapted to our heat and humidity.

Tree or Standard Roses--The characteristic of tree or standard roses is the form of the plant rather than the type of flower. These roses are derived from grafting bush roses on upright trunks. Many of the popular bush rose varieties are available as tree roses. Tree roses may be used in formal plantings, as accent or specimen plants, or as a specimen.

Miniature Roses--Miniature roses are small plants with miniature leaves and flowers. Some varieties reach a maximum height of only 6 inches. These roses are used in edging beds, as borders, in containers, and for rock gardens.

Climbing Roses. Rose varieties that produce long canes and require some sort of support to hold the plants off the ground are known as climbing roses. They may be trained on fences or trellises, while some varieties may be used without support to cover hillsides for erosion control. Since they are hardy, climbers are becoming more popular with the development of finer varieties.

Ramblers--Rapid growing and very hardy, rambler roses may develop canes as long as 20 feet in one season. They are better suited for our fences than other types of roses. The small flowers are usually less than 2 inches in diameter and are borne in dense clusters. Ramblers flower only once during a season on the previous year's growth. The glossy foliage of many varieties in this group is susceptible to mildew. Newer varieties that bear larger flowers and are less susceptible to mildew are being developed.

Large-Flowered Climbers--When compared to ramblers, large-flowered climbers grow very slowly. Usually they are trained on trellises, posts, or some other type of support, and they may require heavy annual pruning to keep them manageable. Under ideal growing conditions, the flowers are rather large and may be useful for cutting. Most varieties bloom best when the canes are trained horizontally.

Everblooming Climbers--These roses usually produce an abundance of flowers in early summer. After heavy bloom, going into the fall, these plants will produce some scattered flowers. Some everblooming climbers are available that bloom continuously, like hybrid teas.

Climbing Hybrid Teas--Climbing hybrid teas were developed from seedlings and as chance sports of bush varieties. When a cane having a climbing character is produced from a hybrid tea, the new type of plant is usually given the bush variety name. Example: Climbing Crimson Glory. In general, the climbing forms of hybrid teas do not bloom as continuously as their bush parents. The flowers and foliage are usually identical.

Climbing Polyanthas and Floribundas--These roses were developed from sports and seedlings of polyanthas and floribundas. Generally the flowers of these sports are identical with the bush forms from which they originated. They are fairly continuous bloomers.

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